Mayor aiming to aid small business

Updated 11:51 pm, Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Mayor Julián Castro holds a piece of art by Andy Tiwari that was presented to him after his address.

Mayor Julián Castro holds a piece of art by Andy Tiwari that was presented to him after his address.

Photo: Cynthia Esparza / For The Express-News

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San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro speaks on Feb. 26, 2013, with Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ramiro Cavazos (left) and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board Alex Briseno after Castro presented his annual State of the City address at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro speaks on Feb. 26, 2013, with Hispanic Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Ramiro Cavazos (left) and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board Alex Briseno after

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro presents his annual State of the City address on Feb. 26, 2013, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro presents his annual State of the City address on Feb. 26, 2013, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Photo: Cynthia Esparza, San Antonio Express-News

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San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro presents his annual State of the City address on Feb. 26, 2013, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro presents his annual State of the City address on Feb. 26, 2013, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Photo: Cynthia Esparza, San Antonio Express-News

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Michael Ray (left) and Denver Smith (second left) play on Feb. 26, 2013 with the Roosevelt High School drum line at the start of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro's annual State of the City address at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Michael Ray (left) and Denver Smith (second left) play on Feb. 26, 2013 with the Roosevelt High School drum line at the start of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro's annual State of the City address at the Henry

The Roosevelt High School drum line led the way on Feb. 26, 2013 for those attending the annual State of the City address given by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

The Roosevelt High School drum line led the way on Feb. 26, 2013 for those attending the annual State of the City address given by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Photo: Cynthia Esparza, San Antonio Express-News

Mayor aiming to aid small business

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During a wide-ranging State of the City address Tuesday, Mayor Julián Castro called for a new program that would help guide startups and existing small businesses to success, declaring that “every great city begins with a dream,” which becomes achievements to propel a community forward.

In the 36-minute speech to more than 1,000, Castro said San Antonio had a successful year in 2012, a time when voters were bold with their decisions to approve a large bond program and Pre-K 4 SA, a high-quality prekindergarten program that is scheduled to begin this fall.

The mayor had his breakout year in 2012. He oversaw passage of an important bond program before landing in the national spotlight with his keynote address on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.

That moment sealed his future as a political rising star. He traveled to several states as a surrogate for Barack Obama as the president campaigned for a second term. In November, Castro found success at home with the passage of Pre-K 4 SA, on which he staked his mayoral tenure.

“I'm glad that worked out,” he said to laughter and applause.

As he campaigns for his third term, Castro continues to be a politician in demand, traveling to the United Kingdom and Mexico City to discuss trade and economic development.

Downtown development is growing, and San Antonio continues to foster a strong environment for business, he said.

“The question going forward is, how does San Antonio maintain its momentum?” Castro said. “It's not about trying to be the next big thing. We're about making sure San Antonio is a wonderful place to live, to work, to visit, to invest in for the long term. And there are important things that we need to get done in this year, 2013, to ensure that we set ourselves on that trajectory.”

One of those goals, he said, is to extend the employment contract of City Manager Sheryl Sculley, who he called the greatest city manager in the nation.

“This year, the council and I have the opportunity to extend her contract so that Sheryl is our great city manager for the next few years to come,” he said. “And we will do it in 2013.”

Made to San Antonio's business community, that statement received the most robust applause of the day.

Sculley earns $355,000 annually under a contract set to expire Dec. 31.

There's much work to do in 2013, Castro said, as he discussed several of his go-to topics, including education, economic development and SA2020, the long-range plan he initiated in 2010 to recast the future of San Antonio.

This summer, Castro and the City Council are expected to approve the creation of Café Commerce — the program that would help small business grow.

While San Antonio has excelled at recruiting out-of-town companies to relocate here, it hasn't placed the same emphasis on growing local small business, which is the bedrock of the Alamo City's job base.

Castro asked how San Antonio could create the next generation of people like Rackspace chairman and co-founder Graham Weston, and celebrated chefs and restaurateurs Johnny Hernandez of La Gloria and The Fruteria, and Lisa Wong of Rosario's and Ácenar.

He said he believes Café Commerce could help.

It would be located in the Central Library, a single-stop shop where entrepreneurs and small-business owners could go to “get information, and the resources, the market data and the assistance they need to start their business.”

Though Castro and District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan don't see eye-to-eye on much these days, she said after Tuesday's address that Café Commerce “is a good idea.”

“I believe the city has a role to play in creating jobs and a better economic environment,” she said.

Promoting business, Chan said, will help San Antonio to have a healthy tax base. “It's important for the city of San Antonio to have a business-friendly environment,” she said.

Castro also applauded San Antonio voters with making strong statements during 2012. Last May, they approved the largest municipal bond program in city history — a $596 million budget for more than 100 projects to construct streets and sidewalks, improve parks and bolster public safety.

After a hard-fought campaign, voters gave a nod to Pre-K 4 SA, a high-quality prekindergarten program scheduled to start this fall and education 22,400 4-year-olds in its first eight years.

“In May, the voters of San Antonio supported the largest bond issue in San Antonio history — $596 million to our roads, our sidewalks, our parks, our libraries, our fire stations,” he said. “San Antonians showed that they understand that we have to invest in ourselves.

“In November, the voters of San Antonio said something else. They said they recognize that San Antonio will take a backseat to no one when it comes to ensuring our children get a great education in this city.”

Castro didn't unveil any ambitious, grand plans during Tuesday's address, though he has used that stage in the past for such announcements.